THE TIGER IN THE TUNNEL

Tembu, the boy ,opened his eyes in the dark and wondered if his father was ready to leave the hut on his nightly errand.

THE TIGER IN THE TUNNEL

there was no moon that night, and the deathly stillness of the surrounding jungle was broken only occasionally by the shrill cry of a Cicada.sometimes from far off came the hollow hammering of a WOODPEEKER

Carried along on the faint breeze. Or the grunt of a wild boar could be heard as he dug up a favourite root .But these sounds were rare, and the silence of the forest always returned to swallow them up.

Baldeo, the watchman,was awake.he stretched himself slowly unwinding the heavy shawl that covered him.It was close on the midnight on the chill air made him shiver.The station,there,if at all for a few seconds before entering the deep curved him.

It was close on midnight and the chill air made him shiver. The station,a small shack backed by heavy jungle ,was a station in name only; for trains only stopped there ,if at all ,for signalling whether or not the tunnel was clear of obstruction.

At night it was his duty to the Baldeo:

the baldeo duty to see that the lamp was burning ,and that the overland mail passed through safety,”shall i come too,father?asked Tembu sleepily ,still lying in a huddle in a corner of the

‘No, it is cold tonight .do not get up‘.

Tembu,who was twelve ,did not always sleep with his father at the station,for he had also to help in the home,where his mother and small sister were usually alone.They lived in a small tribel village on the outskirts of the forest,about three miles from the station.Their small tribal village on the outskirts of the forest,about three miles from the station.their small rice fields did not provide them with more than a bare living and Baldeo considered himself lucky to have got the job of khalasi at this small wayside signal stop.

Still drowsy, Baldeo ,groped for his lamp in darkness then fumbled about in search of matches. When he had produced a light he left the hut ,closed the door behind him and set off along the permanent way. Thembu had fallen asleep again.

At midnight , Baldeo goes out of his hut, into the thick forest. The jungle is full of dangerous animals ,but Baldeo has a job to do and it is important.

Baldeo wondered whether the lamp on the signal -post was still alight .

Gathering his shawl closer about him ,he stumbled on, sometimes along the rails,

Sometimes along the ballast .he longed to get back to his warm come in the hurt.

The eeriness of the place was cincreased by the neighbourimg hills which overering high main line threateningly .on entering thr cutting with its sheert rock walls towering high above the rails ,Baldeo could not help thinking about the wild animals he might encounter .

He had heard many tales of the famous tunnel tiger, a man eater ,which was supposed to frequent this spot: he hardly believed these stories his for since his arrival at this place a month ago, he had not seen or seen or even heard a tiger.

Thus ,Baldeo courage eventually kills the man eater ,though ,at the cost of his own life .

in “the tiger in the tunnel ,”Baldeo confronts the deadly man -eating tiger in the tunnel after his first month on the job. Even though he has heard the rumours about this dangerous tiger ,he is still unafraid to do his job because his family depends upon his wages for their livelihood .